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President Joe Biden will remove the US designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a prisoner release deal, the White House said on Tuesday.
Shortly thereafter, Cuba announced that it would release 553 prisoners held for “multiple crimes.” They are expected to be participants in the anti-government protests of four years ago.
Reinstate President-elect Donald Trump The country’s terror designation, banning US economic aid and weapons exports to the country in the final days of the 2021 presidential primary.
But on Tuesday, a Biden administration official said the assessment of the situation did not present “information” supporting the nomination.
Cuba said Biden’s move was a step in the “good direction” despite its “limited nature.”
“This decision, along with many others, puts an end to specific coercive measures that seriously harm the Cuban economy, with a serious impact on the population,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Hundreds of prisoners will be “gradually” released after talks facilitated by the Catholic Church, a separate statement read hours later.
Details about the prisoners have not been released; the deal was expected to lead to the release of some protesters imprisoned in 2021 after massive anti-government protests in Cuba over the nation’s economic decline.
Today, Cuba is adjacent to North Korea, Syria and Iran List of United States Sponsors of Terrorism.
This means that the US has “repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism”.
Returning to the list after President Barack Obama removed Cuba in 2015, Trump cited the communist country’s support for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
At the time Cuba called the move “cynical”, “hypocritical” and an act of “political opportunism”.
In addition to promoting the freedom of the prisoners, this decision is significant because it can be seen as a step toward normalizing relations between Cuba and the United States.
This may pave the way for dialogue on other contentious issues.
It could also help Cuba’s dire economic situation, as some big banks and foreign investors have struggled to legally operate there.
Biden must brief Congress on his plans, which also include reversing Trump-era financial restrictions on some Cubans, the White House said in a statement.
It will also suspend the ability of individuals to file claims for confiscated property in Cuba, the statement said.
It is unclear whether Trump will reverse that latest decision when he returns to office on January 20.
The president-elect’s nominee to be the next US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has long advocated imposing sanctions on Cuba.
His family left the country in the 1950s, before the communist revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power.
